


Natalia

by izzimb



Series: winterwidow izzi vs winterwidow saheli [3]
Category: Captain America (Movies), captain america: the winter soldier - Fandom
Genre: F/M, Gen, bucky's recovering, natasha's always there to help, slowly slowly slowly
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-05-10
Updated: 2015-05-10
Packaged: 2018-03-29 22:31:38
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 382
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3913069
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/izzimb/pseuds/izzimb
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Bucky's getting the hang of names. Almost.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Natalia

**Author's Note:**

> No one* gets to call Natasha by her old name.

"Natalia." He tested the taste of her name in his mouth. Referring to those around him by his first name was never allowed; referring to a woman in his presence at all never ever happened outside the procedure rooms.

"You can just call me Nat like everyone else," she says softly.

"I'm not like everyone else."

She shrugs. "That's not true."

Bucky's eyes drifted from Natalia to his left arm and back. She shrugs. "You're not the only one with a prosthetic. These days they're so common. It's nothing new anymore, Buck."

"My name isn't Bucky."

"Not literally, no it isn't." Her voice is patient and soft. "Can you tell me what your real name is?"

"Sergeant—"

"Try again."

"Steve says—"

"Try again."

"J-James."

"See? You know your name. Start answering to your name. You aren't the mercenary anymore. You don't need to be."

"Ya nuzhen kak odin." He speaks softly, as if afraid of an answer. He was needed as the soldier and nothing more.

"Ne zdes'. Stiv nuzhdayetsya v vas kak druga teper'. Soldat ushel." Natalia doesn't stumble over her Russian.

The soldier isn't needed. Steve needs a friend. The soldier is gone, she says, but if he is, why does "Bucky" feel so lost? Without the soldier he is nothing.

He sighs.

"It is hard," Natalia admits.

"You say your name is Natasha, but it is Natalia."

"I was Natalia. Natalia is gone. That life is over." She nods when she finishes. "That's all there is to it. The Winter Soldier is gone. HYDRA does not need the Winter Soldier. Put him to rest and come back to your life."

"My life was in 1938 and caring for Steve. This...this is not my life. That is not Steve."

She reaches up and touches his face. "Things change, James. It's time for you to change too."

"Ya boyus'." The soldier admits it not for pity or help but to test it. To test his emotions again. To test how human he can be, if he can be.

Natalia shrugs. "There is nothing to fear. You can trust all of the others, if not just me and Steve and Sam."

After some silence, he speaks. "May I call you Natalia?" She sighs. "Only when the others can't hear you, maybe."

**Author's Note:**

> *except Bucky


End file.
